MC 00073 Guide to the Bertram Whittier Wells Papers, 1849-2004 (Bulk, 1901-2004)

This collection is divided into three series: (1) James R. Troyer Biography, (2) Bertram Whittier Wells and Maude Barnes Wells House, and (3) Additional Artifacts.In series 1, some materials have been divided into two categories: materials produced by Wells himself, and materials produced by James R. Troyer in the course of his research about Wells. However, the dates on the folders can be somewhat misleading. Since much of the material is made up of Troyer's notes and research, the dates emanate from the date when Troyer's research was done, not the dates or events he was investigating. For example, the date 1890 was attributed to a news article, because it was a photocopy of this article, but a transcription or notes taken from this same article would be dated 1970. Wherever possible, the materials are arranged according to subseries and then chronologically.Series 2 originated from papers found at the Rockcliff Farm house after B. W. and Maude Barnes Wells had vacated the property and had both died. Most of the items were loose in boxes, but some original file names have been maintained where possible and practical. The materials have been divided into subseries including personal (encompassing household papers, personal correspondence, items found in B. W. Wells's studio, and other material of a personal nature), professional (encompassing work and affiliations begun before he retired in 1954 and all publications and notes regarding botany and/or ecology), B. W. Wells Association, Rockcliff Farm Interpretive Area project, and photographs.Series 3 contains artifacts added to the collection after the conclusion of an exhibit on B. W. Wells displayed in 2007.

Creator

Wells, Bertram Whittier, 1884-1978

Quantity

9.0 Linear feet

General Physical Description note

13 archival storage boxes, 1 legalbox, 1 cardbox, 1 carton, and 1 flat folder

Location

For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Special Collections Research Center Reference Staff .

Language

English

Immediate Source of Acquisition note

Initial deposit of Wells materials made by B. W. Wells in 1973. Addition made in 1981 by C. B. King. Significant addition by J. R. Troyer in 2003. Addition from Falls Lake State Recreation Area accessioned in 2006.

Acquisitions Information

Gift of B. W. Wells, C. B. King, and J. R. Troyer, 1973-2003. Transfer from Falls Lake State Recreation Area, November 7, 2006.

Processing

Processed by: Jaime L. Margalotti and Kelly Clark; machine-readable finding aid created by: Jaime L. Margalotti and Kelly Clark; updated by: Kelly Clark Policelli, 2009 April; updated by: Todd Kosmerick, 2012 February

Scope and Content Note

The Bertram Whittier Wells Papers are divided into two series documenting the life of B. W. Wells, a botanist, artist, and faculty member in the Botany Department at North Carolina State College (now North Carolina State University): The first series was compiled largely by Dr. James R. Troyer for his biography of B. W. Wells, and it documents the personal and professional interests of this noted botanist. A small portion of the material in series 1 was directly produced by Wells himself. The second series includes materials found inside B. W. and Maude Barnes Wells's home at Rockcliff Farm by staff members of the Falls Lake State Recreation Area (which now circumscribes all the land near the Neuse River that once belonged to Wells) after both B. W. Wells and Maude Barnes Wells had vacated the property. (Maude Barnes Wells left the house in 1978 after B. W. Wells died; she passed away in 2001.) This series contains personal and professional papers, documents and artifacts from the B. W. Wells Association and the Rockcliff Farm Interpretive Area preservation project (Now the B. W. Wells Home and Interpretive Area), materials from Wells's studio, and an array of photographs and negatives, among other items.

Biographical Note

During his long and active life, B. W. (Bertram Whittier) Wells (1884-1978) was keenly interested in the study and preservation of North Carolina's unique landscape. He spent time studying the Big Savannah in North Carolina's Pender County, a spot he made famous in his publications on "natural gardens." Wells also, unsuccessfully, worked to save the Big Savannah from development. In 2002, a similar ecological site was dedicated to Wells's memory. Wells's concern for the environment was evidenced in his teaching and work as the head of North Carolina State College's (later North Carolina State University) Botany Department, his writing, and his personal involvement in botanical and environmental associations. James R. Troyer rightly titled his book about Wells Nature's Champion.

Born in 1884, in Troy, Ohio, Wells studied botany at Ohio State University, received his doctorate at the University of Chicago, and taught at a number of universities before he came to North Carolina State College in 1919. Wells headed the Botany Department from 1919 to 1949 and continued teaching until his retirement in 1954. During his thirty-five years at North Carolina State, Wells had a significant impact on scientific study. His research interests included the insect galls of plants, the effects of salt on coastal vegetation, Bald Head Island vegetation, and the possible formation by meteorites of the Carolina Bays, in the eastern part of the state. Wells was also a vocal advocate of the teaching of evolution in the 1920s and helped to prevent the legislature from banning it in the public schools. His botanical interests led him to write a book titled The Natural Gardens of North Carolina. Originally written in 1932 and published with the help of the North Carolina Garden Club, the book is still in print from University of North Carolina Press. It provides an account of North Carolina plant life and has a particularly forward-looking position on ecology, advocating the study of plants in their natural environments.

Wells had a profound love for his retirement property, called Rockcliff Farm, located on a bend in the Neuse River. In the 1970s, the Falls of the Neuse Reservoir submerged much of the property and the famed Ziegle's Rock. The property was subsumed within the Falls Lake State Recreation Area, where, in cooperation with the B. W. Wells Association and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the homestead has been preserved. Initially conceived by the B. W. Wells Association as the Rockcliff Farm Interpretive Area (later called the B. W. Wells Home and Interpretive Area), the site is used to educate the public about B.W. Wells and promote his conservation ethics.

The Rockcliff Farm property, home, and personally constructed art studio provided Wells with an ideal setting in which to cultivate his interest in painting. Although his love for art had been life-long and he had been involved in the McLean Mural controversy during his years at State, Wells began teaching himself to paint in his 70s. Although he never sold any artwork, he frequently gave it to friends, and a number of pieces are on exhibit at the Wells historical site. Wells's second wife Maude Barnes Wells, who died in 2001, shared his love of the property. Wells's first wife, Edna Metz Wells, who died in 1938, was a respected local teacher and was honored with a Wake County, North Carolina, park named in her honor.

Although Wells died in December 1978, his contributions, particularly in North Carolina, have engendered a devoted following for his life and work. In addition to J. R. Troyer's biography of Wells, there remains a B. W. Wells Association to administer the historic site and site of his former property, as well as to pass on his botanical knowledge and environmental interests to new generations.

James R. Troyer gathered much of the material in this collection during his preparation for the book, Nature's Champion: B. W. Wells, Tar Heel Ecologist. Born in Goshen, Indiana, in 1929, Troyer received his B.A. at DePauw University, his M.A. at Ohio State University, and his Ph.D. in Botany at Columbia University, in 1954. After teaching at Yale University until 1957, Troyer began his career at North Carolina State College as an assistant professor of botany. During his 38 years at State, Troyer became a full professor with a focus on plant physiology and the history of botany, particularly in North Carolina. He has held the position of Emeritus Professor of Botany since 1995.

Controlled Terms

1. Artists--North Carolina--History
2. B. W. Wells Association.
3. Big Savannah (N.C.)
4. Botany--Study and teaching--North Carolina
5. Conservation of natural resources--Research--North Carolina
6. Ecology--Study and teaching--North Carolina
7. Evolution--Study and teaching--North Carolina
8. Falls Lake (N.C.)
9. Film negatives
10. North Carolina State University--Faculty--History.
11. North Carolina State University. Dept. of Plant Biology--History.
12. North Carolina Wild Flower Preservation Society.
13. Pender County (N.C.)
14. Photographs
15. Rock Cliff Farm (N.C.)
16. Slides
17. Troyer, James R.
18. Wells, Bertram Whittier, 1884-1978
19. Wells, Edna Metz.
20. Wells, Maude Barnes

Related Material

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Preferred Citation

[Identification of Item], Bertram Whittier Wells Papers, MC 00073, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, North Carolina.

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